Asking the Right Questions

"Izuku, can you come to the front room? There's someone here who wants to talk to us!"

Izuku locked his laptop and put it away before leaving his bedroom, "What is it Mom? Who…"

Detective Tsukauchi stood in the entryway, and Izuku froze. What was the detective tasked with finding him doing in his house? Did he suspect Izuku? Was he here to arrest him? Izuku glanced behind Tsukauchi. If he was, then why didn't he bring backup? Were they waiting outside? Izuku's mind kept running through possibilities and escape plans as Inko took Tsukauchi's coat and led him to the couch.

"Would you like some tea, Detective?" Inko asked.

Tsukauchi shook his head, "Not today, Mrs. Midoriya, I don't want to put this off."

"So, if you don't mind me asking," Izuku eyed Tsukauchi carefully, "what's a detective doing in our house?"

Tsukauchi frowned softly, "There's really no easy way to say this, but I have some bad news." He looked at Inko. "Your husband, Hisashi Midoriya, was murdered sometime yesterday afternoon. I am so sorry for your loss."

Inko gasped and tears started streaming down her face, "But-but I thought...he can't be...he was only in Japan for a few days for business...we were going to be a family again...who would?"

Tsukauchi looked confused, "Why do you say he was only in Japan for a few days?"

"Hisashi, he-he worked in America, we haven't even seen him for years because his company wouldn't give him any time off. He came in for a few days to- to surprise us…" Izuku rubbed his mother's back as she started sobbing.

"Oh...um, I'm sorry to have to tell you this," Tsukauchi said, "but Hisashi Midoriya was the villain known as Dragon and the leader of a gang known as the Dragon's Horde. There is no record of him even leaving the country in the past decade, much less working abroad. I have to tell you this because we believe that it may have been one of his enemies in the underworld who killed him. Was he acting suspiciously at all yesterday?"

Izuku scoffed, "Just him showing up was suspicious, considering he hasn't visited in ten years."

"Izuku!" Inko scolded, "He was your father! Have some respect."

"Well, I still need to ask you both a few questions, if possible, to help us find his killer. What time did you last see Hisashi yesterday?"

"He and Izuku left to go on a walk right after lunch." Inko said softly. "They were supposed to be home in time for dinner and Izuku was on time, but Hisashi…" She cut herself off with a sob and Tsukauchi turned to Izuku.

"So you went on a walk after lunch?

Izuku nodded as he reviewed what he knew about Tsukauchi's quirk, Lie Detector. It allowed him to know if what people were saying was the truth or a lie but as long as what Izuku said was technically true, the quirk shouldn't register falsehoods. He could work with that.

"Yes. Hisashi said he wanted to have some father-son bonding time and offered to take me to a park. It was a bit out of the way, but I wasn't the one that chose it."

True

Tsukauchi nodded. It was so strange to him that Dragon's family didn't even know of his double life. Had Dragon left the family to protect them? If so, why had he come back?

"Alright, about what time did you arrive at the park?"

Izuku shrugged, "It was early afternoon, I think. I don't know the exact time."

True

"Which park did you go to?"

"I don't know the name of it, but it's hidden under an overpass and there's a river that runs right by it. We had to take the train to get there."

True

Tsukauchi sighed, that was where Dragon's body had been found, which meant that Izuku was probably one of the last people to see him alive. He might have even seen his father's murderer. Tsukauchi hoped for the kid's safety that he hadn't. The intel they had on Dragon said that he'd been trying to push Mastermind for a deal, but Mastermind wasn't having it, so there was a good chance Dragon had been killed by number one villain in Japan. Izuku was an innocent kid who had just lost his father, he didn't need the danger that came along with being a witness in the Mastermind investigation.

"Do you know why your father took you to that park?" Tsukauchi asked. "There are others closer to here."

"I think it was because of how secluded it was. He had some things he wanted to talk to me about."

True

"Do you mind telling me what those things were."

"He...wanted me to join him."

True

"Izuku…" Inko sobbed and wrapped her arms around her son. "Baby, why didn't you tell me?"

Tsukauchi frowned, "Did you know that Hisashi was Dragon?"

Izuku was silent for longer than Tsukauchi thought was strictly necessary, "He mentioned it when we got to the park."

True

"And how did you respond?"

Izuku scoffed, "I told him there was no way I'd work with him. I have no interest in joining a gang."

True

Well that, at least, was a relief. And it seemed that Dragon hadn't really pressed the issue, since Izuku was here, alive and well.

"Your mother mentioned that you came home on time, but Hisashi didn't. Did you leave the park together?"

"No. Hisashi...ran into some friends while we were there and since our conversation was over, I decided to leave him with them."

True

Poor kid, the dad wants him to be a villain, then runs into friends, probably also villains, so he gets bored and decides to go home. Seemed like a standard teenage reaction to a long winded parent. Well, except for the whole recruitment situation. But these friends...some of them were probably the other members of the Dragon's Horde that they found dead alongside Dragon, but there was also the possibility one of them had been Mastermind.

"These friends of his, would you mind describing them to me?"

Izuku shrugged, "They were all just your standard street thugs."

True

"None of them were teenagers?"

Izuku looked at him strangely, "No, they were all adults. Why?"

True

Tsukauchi breathed a sigh of relief, "We believe that Mastermind, who we have evidence may be a teenager, was involved with your father's death. If you had seen him, you would most likely be in a lot of danger right now."

"Oh my poor baby!" Inko hugged Izuku even harder.

Tsukauchi frowned. He'd asked all the questions he'd prepared, and it seemed like Izuku had already left the park by the time the fight went down, but something just seemed off. Maybe it was because most people told at least one white lie while talking to him, or maybe it was something about Izuku's behavior and how calm he seemed, but...well, it wouldn't hurt to ask just one more question, right? Just to make sure?

"Alright, just one last question and I'll leave you alone." He looked Izuku in the eye. "Was your father still alive when you left the park?"

Izuku thought back to how he'd left his father bleeding out with no hope of rescue, and had to hold back a smile, "Yes."

True

Keigo threw his controller down on the couch after losing to Shigaraki yet again. The entire league was together and Shigaraki had called them all cowards for refusing to play video games with him. Dabi, the traitor, had shoved a controller in Keigo's hands and abandoned him to the unbeatable boss that was Shigaraki, king of video games. Half an hour later, Keigo had died five times, and he was pretty sure Shigaraki was still on his first life.

"Don't feel too bad, Hawks sweetie." Toga leaned over the back of the couch and handed him a slice of pizza. "Nobody can beat Shigi here. He's basically the god of video games."

"Toga, don't give my brother any more ideas for conspiracy theories!" Dabi yelled.

Shouto looked up from where he was writing something at the table, "No, please, keep them coming."

Keigo laughed as Twice decided to take up both sides of the argument, trying to convince everyone with nonsensical leaps in logic and pretty soon, everyone had made their way to the couch to watch the show. This. This must be what family was supposed to feel like. He...he wanted this.

Twice's argument ended as he realized that whatever side won, he was still the winner, so there was no point. The group fell into companionable silence and Keigo bit his lip. Maybe now would be a good time?

"Umm, guys?" Everyone turned to look at him as soon as he broke the silence and Keigo tried to swallow his nerves. "You know how, well...you know how you've accused me of being an infiltrator a few times?"

Shouto nodded, "What about it?"

Keigo hesitated a moment, "What if that were true?"

There was a long moment of silence as the league processed what he'd said. Finally, Dabi spoke up, "It'd suck and we might have to kill you, but you're a pretty cool guy, birdie, so we'd be sad about it if that's any consolation."

Keigo chuckled, but it felt flat. He stared at the floor as he debated his next words, "And what if I didn't want it to be true anymore?"

"...What?"

Keigo looked up at his friends' confused faces, "I...I've been thinking about it a lot and… maybe I don't want to be a hero anymore. The Commission assigned me to infiltrate the league before Endeavor's death, so that's how this all started out, but...it's different now. I wasn't ever allowed to have friends growing up, since the Commission was focused on making me into their perfect little puppet, but...I don't think I could ever ask for better friends than you guys."

"Aww!" Toga rushed forward to hug him. "That's the sweetest thing anybody's ever said about us!"

"Let him breathe, crazy!" Dabi pulled her away. "But in all seriousness, birdie, thanks, but you can't decide to be a villain just because you've got friends who've made some questionable life decisions. If your heart's not in it, you'll just regret it later."

"My heart is in it and I want out." Keigo took a moment to gather his thoughts, "Ever since I was taken by the Commission as a kid, I've been their captive, letting them manipulate and brainwash me into doing whatever they want and I can't live like that anymore. I...I just want to be free."

Shouto came over and put his hand on Keigo's shoulder, "Don't worry Hawks, we'll get you out of there."

"Yeah." Spinner said. "You're one of us, Hawks, and you deserve to be free. I knew the Commission had to be corrupt to keep churning out all those false heroes."

Keigo laughed as his eyes filled with tears. He'd been hiding his true emotions for so long, first from the commission, then from the league, it was so refreshing to just be...him, "You guys are amazing, you know that?"

"Hmm," Shigaraki frowned, "the best thing for us would probably be for you to keep up appearances with the Commission, but give us the information instead of them. But based on what you just said, I'm guessing that's not what you want to do?"

Keigo shook his head, "I can't...I don't want to be their puppet anymore. Not now that I know how they're manipulating me. I either want to be all in or all out, and I'm here with you because I've chosen to go all out."

Dabi turned to Shigaraki, "Come on dusty, they've been keeping this birdie in a cage for too long, we've got to set him free!"

"Yeah," Spinner added. "And him turning openly will be the perfect chance to expose the Commission's true corruption!"

"I..I'm not the only one." Keigo said, turning to Shigaraki. "There are other kids like me that the Commission is raising to be weapons. If I can help them, I have to, but I can't do that if I stay there."

Shigaraki stared at them all for a long moment before sighing, "Whatever, I won't ask you to stay there if you don't want to, but you do know what you're signing up for, right?"

"You'll have to stay here in hiding like us." Spinner said.

"It's better to hide with friends than live openly with enemies." Keigo responded.

"Your family and friends will feel betrayed." Shouto added.

"I never had a family, and you guys are the only friends I've ever known."

"Your fans will hate you." Mr. Compress said.

"If they do, I will have at least shown them the true enemy."

"Well then," Shigaraki smiled. "Welcome to the league of villains."